DUNGEON SLAVE – CHAPTER 03: GATE OF RUIN
The world bent as Axcel and Helena crossed the threshold.
The light of Narvana dissolved into shadow, replaced by a cavernous expanse that breathed like a living thing. The air was thick, heavy with mana and decay. Crimson mist clung to the ground, and from far above, viscous drops of black water fell in slow rhythm like the heartbeat of the dungeon itself.
A soft hum pulsed through Axcel's veins.
Helena's voice broke the silence. "This is the Gate of Ruin. Be cautious. The corruption here is… alive."
She raised a hand, conjuring a small orb of silver light that hovered at her side. It barely pushed back the darkness.
Axcel scanned the area, his sword drawn. "I can feel them watching."
"They're always watching," she replied quietly. "But remember they won't see me as prey. Only you."
"Right." He exhaled. "Dungeon Slave."
The first sound came like a whisper of metal scraping bone. Then another. Soon the walls began to stir. Countless eyes opened in the dark, glowing green and gold.
> [Enemy Detected: Mutated Beasts – Insect Class]
[Target Priority – Dungeon Slave: Axcel Haven]
"Figures," he muttered.
The creatures burst from the walls hulking insects twisted by mana, their carapaces gleaming like black steel. Some crawled on six legs, others dragged half-formed wings that screeched as they moved. Mandibles clicked in unison, filling the cavern with a chittering chorus.
Helena lifted her staff but the swarm veered around her completely, converging on Axcel.
He didn't hesitate.
Mana surged through him; dark light flared along his blade. He dashed forward, cleaving the first beast in two. Its blood hissed as it hit the ground, steaming with corruption. Another leapt at him from the ceiling he spun, cutting through its underbelly before it hit.
Dozens more came.
Axcel moved like a storm. His sword carved arcs of shadow and black flame, every strike deliberate, economical. But for every monster he felled, three more crawled from the mist. One slammed into his back, claws raking through his armor. He rolled, thrust upward, severing its head.
Helena watched from the edge of the chaos, her eyes narrowed. The dungeon itself seemed to focus on him, feeding the creatures' frenzy. "It's reacting to his mark," she murmured. "It's testing him…"
A spike-legged beast lunged from behind; Axcel spun, summoning a small slash of compressed mana. The explosion sent shards of rock through the swarm, scattering them briefly. His breath came in ragged bursts, but his eyes burned with focus.
He whispered a chant under his breath his own invention, crude but effective. Dark energy gathered at his feet, propelling him forward like a cannon shot. He cut through another cluster, his body glowing faintly with the same aura as his sword.
Minutes or hours passed in chaos. When the last beast fell, the cavern trembled.
Axcel stood amid the carnage, drenched in blood and mana dust, chest heaving. His sword's edge was chipped, smoking faintly. Behind him, Helena finally stepped forward.
"You survived," she said softly. There was a hint of admiration in her tone she quickly masked. "And stronger, too."
He wiped the sweat from his brow. "Barely."
> [Level Up × 3]
[Current Level: 14]
[Item Acquired – King Piercer (Spear Class, Epic)]
[Item Stored in Inventory]
A bright sigil materialized in the air. A spear of obsidian steel and golden veins shimmered before dissolving into light, absorbed into his mark.
Axcel stared at his hand. "A weapon drop…?"
"The dungeon rewards its chosen," Helena explained. "King Piercer. A weapon born of conquest. You can summon it at will."
Axcel closed his eyes and focused. In an instant, the spear appeared in his grasp sleek, balanced, heavy with divine power. He spun it experimentally; the air whistled with each motion.
"Good," he said, smiling faintly. "I like it."
"Don't get attached," she warned. "We're only halfway through."
They pressed deeper.
The tunnel sloped downward, narrowing until they entered a massive chamber. The ceiling vanished into darkness; the walls glistened with silk threads thicker than rope. A sickly sweet smell filled the air.
Helena stopped abruptly. "Wait."
From the silence came a faint tapping hundreds of small clicks echoing from every direction. The webs trembled.
Then the floor moved.
The creature that descended from the darkness was beyond monstrous. A spider, but distorted its body the size of a house, its eight legs armored in jagged crystal. Translucent fluid dripped from fanged mandibles, sizzling where it touched stone. Its many eyes glowed scarlet, each one locking onto Axcel.
> [Dungeon Boss – Arachnid Queen of Ruin (C Class)]
Axcel felt the pressure instantly. The air itself thickened with killing intent. His muscles trembled beneath the mana weight.
Helena's face was unreadable. "She's stronger than expected. Be careful."
The Queen screeched, shaking the chamber. Webs shot outward dozens of threads gleaming with mana. Axcel darted aside, but one clipped his shoulder, searing through armor. He sliced it away, grimacing. The web sizzled on the floor like acid.
"She's using mana-charged silk," he muttered. "Touch it and it melts you."
He dashed forward, spear in hand. The Queen reared back, slamming two legs down. The ground shattered; Axcel leapt, landing on one leg, driving the spear deep into the joint. A roar followed, shaking dust from the ceiling.
The monster twisted violently, flinging him across the room. He hit the wall hard, coughing blood. Before he could stand, another wave of webs shot toward him.
Helena lifted her staff, erecting a shimmering barrier between them. The silk splashed against it, hissing. "Move!"
Axcel rolled clear, landing in a crouch. His eyes burned with defiance. "Guess it's time to see what Full Count can really do."
The dungeon's air vibrated as the Queen shrieked again, rearing high enough to scrape the unseen ceiling. Dark ichor oozed from its wounded joint, dripping like molten tar.
Axcel steadied himself, pressing a palm to the cracked ground. Mana flowed through the marks on his skin black veins of light expanding outward in pulsing rhythm.
> [Full Count Activated]
A deep hum filled the chamber. Every time the spider's mana flared, Axcel's body responded absorbing, adjusting, matching. The oppressive weight that had nearly crushed him moments ago began to even out, the pain replaced by fierce clarity.
He dashed forward, King Piercer spinning in a deadly arc. The spear collided with one of the Queen's legs, cleaving straight through the joint. Black fluid sprayed across the floor. The creature screamed, retaliating with a blinding volley of silk bolts that cracked like lightning.
Axcel met them head-on. The first strand hit his guard he twisted, redirecting its energy into the ground; the second he split mid-air with a precise strike, mana flaring in symmetrical bursts.
Helena stood behind the battle's glow, eyes wide. "He's adapting faster than I thought…"
"Come on then!" Axcel roared, leaping again. The Queen lunged, fangs flashing. He thrust the spear forward, impaling one mandible, driving it back.
For a moment, victory seemed close until the creature released a new sound, a deep chittering hiss. The webs around the chamber ignited, burning with blue flame. Threads fell like meteors, sealing off every path. The Queen's abdomen swelled, and a glob of venom shot toward him.
Axcel raised his arm, too late.
The blast struck except it never reached him. A silver wall of light appeared before him, shimmering. Helena stood within it, staff raised, face grim.
He turned in shock. "Why did you "
The spider's shadow loomed behind her. It had shifted targets.
Helena gasped as the beast's remaining legs plunged toward her. She'd been told the dungeon creatures could not attack her, but the rule shattered before her eyes.
"Why why is it "
"Move!"
Axcel slammed into her, shoving her aside. The blow meant for her struck him full in the chest. The world went white.
His body crashed against stone, ribs cracking, breath torn from his lungs. The pain was blinding, but deep beneath it, something else stirred the pulse of his ability.
> [Full Count: Overload Trigger]
Black light erupted from him, spiraling upward in threads of energy that mirrored the spider's web. His wounds glowed with searing mana as every ounce of pressure the Queen had unleashed rebounded.
The chamber shook violently. The Queen staggered, its legs splintering under invisible force. One, two, three shattered like glass.
Helena stared, stunned. The very dungeon seemed to bend around his power.
Axcel rose slowly, his eyes gleaming with dark flame. "My turn."
He extended his arm; King Piercer materialized in his grasp, thrumming with life. Dark and golden veins pulsed across its length. He poured everything into it all mana, all pain, all will.
"Pierce through."
He launched the spear. It streaked across the chamber like a comet, trailing black fire. The Queen shrieked, attempting to conjure another web, but the weapon tore through it effortlessly, drilling straight into her core.
A burst of light consumed the arena.
When the glow faded, the Queen's massive body collapsed, dissolving into motes of fading mana.
Axcel fell to one knee, vision blurring. The system's voice echoed faintly:
> [Boss Defeated – Gate of Ruin]
[Level Up × 8]
[Current Level: 22]
[New Ability Unlocked – Double Counter]
[Item Acquired – Mana Grappler (Gear Class)]
Helena rushed forward, kneeling beside him. Her hands trembled as she pressed glowing palms to his chest. "Idiot… you could have died."
He gave a faint, lopsided grin. "Would've been worse if you did."
The healing light enveloped him, warmth spreading through broken ribs and torn muscle. The pain dulled, replaced by a strange calm.
"Why… why protect me?" she whispered. "They weren't supposed to touch me."
"Guess they didn't get the memo." He laughed weakly.
She shook her head, black hair falling over her face. "You're reckless." Yet her voice softened, and the light in her palms grew warmer. "Reckless… and impossible."
The system chimed again, quieter now:
> [Ability Explanation – Double Counter: When struck, retaliate with precision equal to twice the inflicted damage. Accuracy + 100%. Odds of working 50%]
[Item Explanation – Mana Grappler: Deployable tether for mid-air maneuvering / evasion / mobility.]
Axcel flexed his hand experimentally. "So now I can punch back twice as hard and swing like a lunatic. Not bad."
Helena smiled faintly despite herself. "You talk like you've already forgotten you almost died."
"Helps me recover faster."
When the dungeon light finally faded, the Gate of Ruin crumbled to ash behind them.
Outside, Narvana waited under its eternal twilight. A crowd had gathered at the edge of the plaza the same women who had once doubted him. Murmurs rippled through them.
"Did he really survive?"
"He's… kind of handsome up close."
"Look at the mark it's glowing brighter than Hebana's sigils…"
"I thought no one could come back from the Gate of Ruin alive!"
At the center, Hebana stood, calm yet clearly relieved. The faintest smile touched her lips when the light shimmered and two figures stepped out Helena, unscathed, and Axcel, walking beside her with his sword across his back.
"Welcome back," Hebana said. "I trust the dungeon was… enlightening."
Axcel met her gaze, weary but defiant. "What's next?"
The wind stirred through the plaza as the runes beneath their feet flared once again. Hebana's eyes gleamed.
"Next," she said softly, "comes the dungeon that remembers."
The twilight deepened, and the stars above Narvana began to move.
TO BE CONTINUED…